Professor

Prof. hyotcherl ihee

Professor Hyotcherl Ihee obtained a B.Sc. in Chemistry from KAIST, Korea, in 1994, and his PhD in Chemistry from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), USA, in 2001. He began his independent career as an assistant professor at KAIST in 2003 and is now a full professor. He is also the founding director of the Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics (CARD), one of the newly established centers in the Institute for Basic Science (IBS). His research focuses on understanding the structural dynamics of a wide range of molecules, from small molecules to proteins, using time-resolved X-ray liquidography (or solution scattering), time-resolved X-ray crystallography, and time-resolved optical spectroscopy.

In particular, Prof. Ihee has made significant contributions to the establishment of time-resolved X-ray liquidography, a state-of-the-art method for visualizing the three-dimensional molecular structures of reaction intermediates in liquid and solution phases. Using this technique, he has elucidated the structural dynamics and mechanisms of various haloalkanes, photocatalysts, and proteins.

His research interests extend beyond solution-phase chemistry. For example, he has successfully applied time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography (TR-SFX) to study the structural dynamics of small molecules in the crystalline phase, marking its first application to chemical systems. Moreover, he has observed the real-time generation of molecular ions in the gas phase and their structural transitions using mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction (MeV-UED).

Professor Ihee is a recipient of the Sudang Prize (2025), the Ipjae Physical Chemistry Award (2025), the 3.1 Cultural Award (2021), the Shim-Gye Science Award (2020), the Man-Jung Han Academic Award (2020), the Kyung-Am Academic Award (2016), the Myung Soo Kim Academic Excellence Award (2015), the Morino Lectureship Award (2011), and the Young Scientist Award (2006). He was elected a regular member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) in 2024 and was named “KAISTian of the Year” in 2015. He was elected a Fellow of the American Crystallographic Association (ACA) in 2022. He currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Structural Dynamics and previously served on the editorial boards of Accounts of Chemical Research (2015–2021) and ChemPhysChem (2011–2014).

Awards and Honors 

2025                   Sudang Prize (수당상) by Susang Foundation (수당재단)

2025     Ipjae Physical Chemistry Award (입재 물리화학상) by Korean Chemical Society (대한화학회 물리화학분과)

2023     KAIST Research Excellence Award (학술대상)

2021     62nd 3.1 Cultural Award (삼일 문화상) by 3.1 Cultural Foundation (삼일문화재단)

2021             ACA (American Crystallographic Association) Fellow (elected)

2020                   Shim-Gye Science Award (심계 과학상) by Korean Synchrotron Radiation Users Association (방사광이용자협회)  

2020                   Man-Jung Han Academic Excellence Award (한만정 학술상) by Korean Chemical Society (대한화학회)

2018                   KAIST Teaching Excellence Award (우수강의상)  

2016                   Kyung-Am Academic Award (경암학술상)

2016                   KAIST Teaching Excellence Award (우수강의상)

2016                   KAISTian of the year 2015 (올해의 카이스트인상) 

2015                   Myung Soo Kim Academic Excellence Award (김명수 학술상) by Korean Chemical Society (대한화학회) 

2014                   KAIST 10 Best Research Achievements in 2013 (KAIST 2013 대표연구성과10선)  

2013                   Dong-A Ilbo 100 people (동아일보 10년 뒤 한국을 빛낼 100인 선정)  (Hall of Fame 명예의 전당 3회 선정)               

2011                   Morino Lectureship Award 

2011                   Dong-A Ilbo 100 people (동아일보 10년 뒤 한국을 빛낼 100인 선정) 

2010                   Dong-A Ilbo 100 people (동아일보 10년 뒤 한국을 빛낼 100인 선정) 

2010                   KAIST Teaching Excellence Award (우수강의상)  

2009                   KAIST Teaching Excellence Award 

2009                   Lectureship Award from Chemical Society of Japan

2009                   2009년 교육과학기술부 대표우수연구성과 인증패 (60 선 선정) 

2009                   2009년 국가개발 우수성과패 (100 선 선정)

2008                   Best Oral Paper at 10th Eurasia Conference on Chemical Sciences 

2008                   KAIST Teaching Excellence Award (우수강의상)  

2006                   KAIST Academic Excellence Award (카이스트 학술상)  

2006                   16th KOFST Best Paper Award 

2006                   10th Young Scientist Award 젊은과학자상 (MOST / KIAS)  

2006                   Best Lecturer Award (KAIST Chemistry Department) 

2002–2003         Damon Runyon Cancer Research Fellow 

1994                   Graduated with highest honors from KAIST 

Editorial Advisory Board & Chairs & Organizers & Sponsors 

2020–present    Editorial Advisory Board Member of Struct. Dyn.

2015–2021     Editorial Advisory Board Member of Acc. Chem. Res.

2011–2014         Editorial Advisory Board Member of ChemPhysChem 

2008–2011         LCLS User Organization Executive Committee Member (3-year term)

2009                   Coordinator of Korean side for 13th East Asian Workshop on Chemical Reactions 

2009                   Local Organizing Committee Member of 2nd Asian Spectroscopy Conference 

2009                   Sponsor of 2nd Asian Spectroscopy Conference 

2009                   Organizer of International Symposium on Molecular Biophysics and Interfaces 

2009                   Session chair of International Symposium on Molecular Biophysics and Interfaces

2008                   Co-chair at KIOST International Workshop 2008, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea 

2008                    Organizer of 2008 Asian-core Symposium, Daejeon, Korea 

2007                   Sponsor at 2007 Korea-Japan Symposium on Frontier Photoscience, Daegu, Korea 

2007                   Organizing committee at the 12th Korea-Japan Joint Symposium on Frontiers of Molecular Science, Jeju, Korea 

2006                   Co-chair at a symposium at SRI (Synchrotron Radiation Instruments), Daegu, Korea